


Rather Be Your Lover

by vivaforever597



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: F/F, Femslash Exchange, Femslash Exchange 2017, Friends to Lovers, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-12-26 06:54:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12053649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vivaforever597/pseuds/vivaforever597
Summary: After a mini-breakdown, Eli realises how she really feels about her best friend.





	Rather Be Your Lover

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Abarero](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Abarero/gifts).



> _I could be your sister, I could be your mother_   
>  _We could be friends, I'd even be your brother_   
>  _But I ...[I'd rather be your lover](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4jFz4TdBi0)_   
> 
> 
> When I received my assignment for the exchange, I was torn between whether to do Rubymaru's first kiss or Nozoeli friends to lovers. I ended up choosing the former, but the other day, after having already started Rubymaru, the opening line of this came to me, and I had no idea where it was going, but I knew it was probably the best opening line I'd ever written, and I had to write the damn fic.
> 
> Nozomi and Eli are so good and I love them _so much_. I gave Eli some of my own characteristics here, and she's probably the μ's member whose personality best matches mine (it's either her or Umi-dah), but usually it's actually Nozomi whom I relate to, as far as her backstory and everything. She's a sweetheart and they're both such good moms to the other girls and UGH THEY'RE WONDERFUL AND THEY DESERVE EACH OTHER SO MUCH. MY BEAUTIFUL WONDERFUL GOOD GIRLS.

If you asked Nozomi about how we started dating, she’d tell you it was because of her selfishness. But the truth is, I was the selfish one.

We were in our first year of high school at the time, and inseparable. It must have seemed strange to others – fair enough for Nozomi to cling to me, since I was almost her only friend, but I wonder why no one ever thought to ask why I clung to her so much. Maybe they already knew, even before I did.

To cope with the stress of high school, we developed the habit of going for parfaits together when one of us had an especially difficult day. About a month and a half into the school year, I had just such a day when I only received half credit on a paper. Looking back, it was hardly important, but at the time, I was mortified. I had always been a perfect student, and the slightest mistake made me feel contemptibly worthless. Nozomi must have seen something in my eye that day at lunch – she often did – because before I could even say anything, she asked me, “Elicchi, do you need a parfait today?”

I admitted that I did. “Of course you’d know right away,” I murmured, more to myself than to her.

Her eyes twinkled. “It’s my spiritual power,” she said.

That afternoon, she watched me over our parfait glasses as I cried over my grade. “I’m not cut out for high school,” I wailed. “I’ll never make it onto the student council, and my parents want me to be the _president!_ ”

Nozomi frowned. “Elicchi, it’s only one grade. You’re still getting better grades than I do.” She smirked as she took a spoonful of cream.

“You’re a good student, and you know it,” I snapped.

“I am,” she said, self-satisfied, “but you’re even better than me.” She sighed and pushed her glass aside to lean forward toward me. “Elicchi, you’re a perfectly good student, I promise. And even if you weren’t, you’d still be my best friend. That’s all you really need!” She grinned devilishly.

I returned her smile half-heartedly. “I don’t think my parents would see it that way,” I said.

She shook her head in frustration. “You talk about your parents want, but what do _you_ want, Elicchi?”

I dropped my gaze down to my parfait. I didn’t feel up to taking a spoonful, but I certainly didn’t want to meet Nozomi’s gaze either. If I couldn’t please my parents, what good was I, anyway?

“I think you blame your parents for what _you_ really want,” she said quietly.

“Oh, how would you know?” I exclaimed. “ _You_ weren’t brought up to be the perfect girl at all times. Your parents don’t mind if you slip up. They don’t even care what school you go to! They don’t even give a rip about anything you do!” It was hurtful, and I knew it. I bit my lip, expecting Nozomi to get up and leave, or to reach across the table to slap me. I’d have deserved it. But she just shook her head slowly and sadly and kept watching me. “I’m sorry,” I said quietly.

“Thank you,” Nozomi said, “but you don’t need to be. It’s true.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Still, I’d rather have that than parents who are always looking over my shoulder, always pressuring me to get the best grades in the school. And even when I do, I’m not good enough!” I fumed.

Nozomi tilted her head and looked at me strangely. “I didn’t realise how much you were hurting,” she said quietly. “That must be what the cards were trying to tell me the other day.”

I looked up at her, genuinely awed. She’d have been perfectly within her rights to get angry with me, or to cry, or do anything in response to my tantrum. But instead, she’d been patient, and kind, and loving…

And suddenly, something came into focus for me. Nozomi was, actually, just the kind of person I needed around me. It was no wonder we were such good friends. At least, it wasn’t for me. I wasn’t sure what she was getting out of it. Why had she attached herself to me, of all people? I didn’t deserve her. Well, at that moment it didn’t really matter. She _was_ my best friend, and I loved her with all of my heart. She knew that, of course.

But I’d just realised that I didn’t just _need_ someone like her around me; I _wanted_ someone like her. In fact – I wanted _her_.

“Nozomi,” I said slowly, as I looked up to meet her eye.

She smiled back at me. “Yes, Elicchi?”

“Let’s – ” I took a big breath, knowing I could never take back what I was about to say. “Let’s go out some time.”

Nozomi laughed. “I thought that was what we were doing!” she said cheerfully.

“No, I mean, on a date.” I must have been speaking in a monotone. I remember my hands feeling cold and my arms a little numb. I was so scared she would be upset.

A long series of expressions played out over her face, or at least, it seemed long to me. Finally, she broke out in a big grin. “Oh, Elicchi, I’ve been trying to ask you that since we first met!” she exclaimed.

“You have?” I asked, dumbfound.

“Yes!” She laughed. “Why do you think I always went with you wherever you went? I’ve liked you from the minute I saw you.” Then she paused. “You aren’t upset, are you?” she asked.

“Of course not,” I said. “Why would I be?”

“Well, I spent all this time with you, and all along I was trying to get you to like me…” She trailed off sadly. “I’m not such a good friend.”

I reached across the table to grab her hands. “Yes, you are,” I said firmly. “That’s why I love you so much.”

“Elicchi…” I saw her eyes start to glisten, and she pulled her hands away to wipe them. “I love you too.”


End file.
